Modular, customizable, ecological, easy to install... The gabion has it all! Discover the different uses of this outdoor design and how to introduce it into your garden.
Why put gabions in your garden?
Gabions are metal cages made of steel, strong and resistant to the vagaries of time. Requiring very little maintenance, they make it very easy to create many outdoor layouts while bringing a resolutely modern touch to your garden!
Easily delineate and structure your garden
Gabions are often used as analternative to a wall or low wall. It can be used to delimit garden paths, specific spaces (such as a petanque court), or even create partitions and privacy screens. It can also be used to stabilize embankments, with gabions regularly used in civil engineering to consolidate banks and protect them from erosion.
Create Planters
Gabions can be used not only to demarcate planters, but also to accommodate them. All you have to do is leave an empty space in the centre of the structure to lay out the soil and plant flowers or aromatic plants. The gabion also offers an ideal structure for the construction of a green wall.
Setting up garden furniture
Gabions can be used to create garden furniture that is modern, aesthetically pleasing and durable. For example, you can use gabions to make a stone bench covered with a wooden board, but also an outdoor coffee table, and why not abench with cushions!
How do I properly install gabions?
Unlike a concrete wall, a gabion wall does not require digging a foundation. Copyright (c) 2019 klikkipetra/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
While gabions are easy to install, there are a few rules to follow to create solid and durable layouts.
What are the foundations for gabions?
Unlike a concrete wall, a gabion wall does not require digging a foundation. A simple disbursement to level the ground is enough. A mixture of sand and gravel can be added to obtain a denser surface, since it is not recommended to install a gabion on soil that is too soft. Care must therefore be taken to pack the surface well before proceeding with the installation. All you have to do is place the gabions on a layer of geotextile felt by assembling them end to end.
How do you properly attach gabions to the ground?
Gabions don't need to be fixed to the ground: they can simply be placed on dirt or a terrace! If you want to cram several gabions high to form a wall, it is best to solidify the whole thing with anti-tip posts, also known as stiffening posts.
How high should a gabion wall be?
You can make a gabion wall with aheight of between 60 cm and 2.40 m approximately. Of course, the height of your wall must comply with the urban planning rules in force in your municipality, especially if it is used as a garden fence.
What is the price of a gabion wall?
You can fill your gabions with loose stones, bricks, wood, etc. Copyright (c) 2020 Peter Kniez/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
An empty gabion costs between €30 and €150 depending on its dimensions. Then you have to count the cost of the filling material (wood, stones, pebbles). A small gabion filled with stones will cost you about €150. All you have to do is multiply this figure by the number of gabions to be installed to evaluate the price of your gabion wall!
How do I fill gabions?
You can fill your gabions with loose stones, bricks, wood, etc. This gives you an infinite choice of materials and allows you to create a unique atmosphere. If you can simply pour the materials loosely, remember to arrange them well on the visible sides of the gabion in order to obtain a more aesthetic look. Or you can purposely leave spaces vacant to install small plants!